Gravity Waves and Linear Inflation From Axion Monodromy
Wrapped branes in string compactifications introduce a monodromy that extends the field range of individual closed-string axions to beyond the Planck scale. Furthermore, approximate shift symmetries of the system naturally control corrections to the axion potential. This suggests a general mechanism for chaotic inflation driven by monodromy-extended closed-string axions. We systematically analyze this possibility and show that the mechanism is compatible with moduli stabilization and can be realized in many types of compactifications, including warped Calabi-Yau manifolds and more general Ricci-curved spaces. In this broad class of models, the potential is linear in the canonical inflaton field, predicting a tensor to scalar ratio r {approx} 0.07 accessible to upcoming cosmic microwave background (CMB) observations.
- Research Organization:
- SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-76SF00515
- OSTI ID:
- 992468
- Report Number(s):
- SLAC-PUB-13357; arXiv:0808.0706; TRN: US1007758
- Journal Information:
- Phys.Rev.D82:046003,2010, Journal Name: Phys.Rev.D82:046003,2010
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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